Until Sunrise
by SinningBySilence
Summary: "As the fire on the other side of the room began to burn out, she fell asleep with beautiful thoughts of Daniel and the future she hoped they had together. And she took comfort in knowing that she had until sunrise before she would have to pull herself away from her love." STABLE QUEEN - Two Shot, pre-Stable Boy
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello, all!**_

_**This is just some (hopefully tasteful and canon) Stable Queen fluff/sexytimes in FTL pre-Stable Boy. I felt we all needed a little bit of that after last night's episode. Also, take note of the RATING! While I tried to keep it as tasteful, mild, and non-graphic as possible, the nature of the story may be…a bit too much for the younger set. Bear in mind as well that this is not beta'd. **_

_**Hope you enjoy it!**_

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Hands, lips, skin, labored breathing, sighs of pleasure...

That was all Regina knew at that moment. Everything was Daniel—the warmth of him as his body covered hers, moved with hers; his lips melding so deliciously with hers; his fingers skimming oh so gently across her skin.

A moan escaped her lips as he brought his lips to her neck, all the while keeping his rhythm elsewhere. God, he knew her so well already, and this was only the third time they'd done this.

Part of her wanted to feel guilty; it wasn't..._custom_ where she came from for a young woman to partake in such scandalous activities with a man she wasn't wed to. If anyone else knew, especially her mother...well, Regina could just imagine the whispers and the dirty looks; that wasn't to mention Cora's utter wrath.

Oh, but Daniel made it so worth it. He didn't just offer his body to her-he offered his _soul_, his love. What was more, he made it so easy for her to bear her own self for him. Every day, no matter what they did or where they were, he made her feel so cherished. He gave her purpose and happiness. This—being in his bed, making love to him by the fire in the dark corner of a dingy stable—this was her physical way of telling him, "I'm yours. I need you. _Love_ me."

She found herself literally clinging to him then. Too good. It was too good.

Their lips crashed together again, tongues mingling. It was as if they couldn't get close enough, never mind just how intimately they were connected.

Every inch of Regina was on fire in the best way possible. Daniel must have been, too, by the way he rasped her name.

"Regina." He whispered it into her ear like a prayer as they picked up speed, never breaking the perfect ebb and flow they had established.

If that wasn't enough to undo her, his next particularly strong thrust was. A strangled cry escaped her throat as she finally, _finally_ let go, taking him with her.

He collapsed on top of her then. Both of their chests were heaving as they fought to catch their breaths and come down from their highs. With a smile, he pressed a lazy kiss to her lips before rolling over to lie next to her.

She didn't hesitate to pull herself close to him, allowing him to cradle her in his arms while she rested her head on his chest. They lay there silently for a brief moment, just enjoying the feel and warmth of one another, before Regina finally spoke.

"It feels so wrong but so right at the same," she said matter-of-factly, meanwhile tracing light patters across his chest with lithe fingers.

"You know, we don't have to do this anymore," he replied, stroking her bare back with one hand while the other toyed with her hair. "I love you for _you_, not because of where we are now."

"I know, and that's the very reason why I'm here in the first place." She leaned up to kiss him full on the lips before saying looking him directly in the eye with her next words.

"I love you, too, Daniel," she whispered as she reached up to stroke his cheek with her thumb. "So much. You give me peace of mind and so much love when nobody else can. As far as I'm concerned, this is where I rather be every night—next to you, whether we make love or just fall asleep."

She kissed him once more before adding, "I'm not going to be sorry for being with you—for craving this kind of intimacy."

"What if we get caught?"

Regina sighed. "We'll worry about my mother when the time comes."

Daniel nodded soberly then as she lay down to rest her head on his chest again. Silence fell between them once more as they began to drift off. Before they gave into slumber, though, he asked one final question.

"Can you stay?"

She nodded yes. "Mother is traveling, remember? And Daddy won't notice if I sneak back early in the morning."

With that, she closed her eyes, telling herself to rest easy and brushing off whatever guilt she still held. As the fire on the other side of the room began to burn out, she fell asleep with beautiful thoughts of Daniel and the future she hoped they had together. And she took comfort in knowing that she had until sunrise before she would have to pull herself away from her love.

She also knew, though, that sunrise would come all too quickly—just as would the day when she and her love would no longer be able to keep their precious secret.

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_**Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Don't hesitate to share them with me, lovelies! =)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Believe it or not, I've had people ask for more Regina and Daniel after part 1 of this story. And, what can I say? I was only happy to oblige with more Stable Queen fluff. I just love these two sfm, okay? But I don't plan to write anymore chapters of this particular fic; I feel if I made it any longer than a two-shot, that might be overstaying it's welcome. But, anyway, here is part deux. =)**_

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Regina woke to the feel of Daniel's warm breath tickling the back of neck, his arms cradling her protectively as he spooned her. The two of them lay there, still tangled in the sheets and one another, skin-on-skin.

And it felt _so_ good. Even the slight ache she was feeling wasn't necessarily a bad sensation.

She smiled contently, not wanting to open her eyes for fear she might discover she was imagining it all. Still, she shifted herself to stretch her muscles, releasing a groan and then a sigh as she did so. Her eyes finally flickered open then.

It took Regina a moment to fully register her surroundings as she emerged from her sleep fog. Bright sunlight was streaming though the windows of the stable, illuminating the small space Daniel called his home.

Next to her, Daniel began to stir as he woke. Her eyes fluttered closed again for a moment when she felt his lips skim across her skin, peppering kisses along her shoulder. He tugged her closer to his body and buried his face into the crook of her neck.

"Morning," he murmured.

"Mmm . . . morning," she whispered back, craning her neck so she could look at him.

Their lips met, and it nearly sent her into a frenzy. Hands roamed, tongues mingled, and soon Regina found herself rolling them over so that he was on his back. She straddled him and leaned over to bring her lips to his neck.

"Not that I'm complaining," Daniel began, "but I'm surprised you're still here."

"What do you mean?" she asked absently, nipping at his earlobe.

"You said you were leaving early. It's well past sunrise now."

And then she remembered...

With a start and a gasp, she jolted up and quickly rolled off of him.

He looked at her then with an expression that was half perplexed and half disappointed. "Regina?"

"I overslept!"

Panicked, she tore herself away from him and scurried across the room to gather her clothing. She dressed at top speed, stumbling over herself as she pulled on her undergarments and dress. This seemed to amuse Daniel, because he was unable to suppress a snigger as he sat watching her.

She glared at him. "What's so funny?"

"Just . . . you," he smiled. "You're so beautifully adorable when you're flustered—exquisite, really."

"I'm sure," she replied dryly, adding a playful eye-roll. She padded back over to the bed then, turning her back to him. "Can you fasten my dress, please? I can't reach."

Daniel stood up to do as she requested, but not before pressing a kiss to her exposed back. She shivered at the feel of his lips on her skin—just like the night before. However, she had to toss that thought away fairly quickly when she remembered that she was actually in a hurry.

"Thank you," she said as she turned to face him once again.

"Never a problem, m'lady." He smiled, reaching up with a gentle hand to caress her cheek.

With that, Regina couldn't resist pulling him in for one more heated kiss. Oh, how she wished she didn't have to go. If she had it her way, they would be right back in that bed doing more unspeakable things. Still, she found the will to break away from him, taking both of his hands in hers as she spoke.

"See you for my riding lesson later this afternoon?"

"Rocinante and I will be counting the seconds."

The little girl in her wanted to blush—partially from just how utterly giddy Daniel made her sometimes, partially from the thought of the utterly _sinful_ things he'd done to her the previous night, and partially from the fact that he still had yet to dress at all and was standing stark naked in front of her.

"Here," she said, tossing him a pair of his trousers she picked up on her way out. "You might need these."

He chuckled as he slipped them on. "Right."

Regina had turned back toward the stable doors and was just about to reach for the handle when he called to her, "Oh, Regina?"

"Yes?"

"I love you. Don't forget that."

A wide smile crept across her face at his words. It never ceased to amaze her how easily he could melt her heart with such a simple statement. That was just one of many reasons why she had chosen to give her heart to him—and why he was the only one she desired to keep it. Because not only did he mean what he said, but he had also proven it to her time and time again without even trying.

"I love you, too, Daniel. And _never_."

And in leaving one last lingering kiss on his lips, she was gone.

Oh, but she would be back. Every day.

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_**Thoughts? As always, reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. =)**_

_**Until next time, dearies! xoxo**_


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